BENTONVILLE, Ark. — On Monday night, Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher was named the 15th winner of the Burlsworth Trophy at a ceremony held at Crystal Bridges Museum.

The award is given to the nation’s most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on. On hand to make the announcement was Marty Burlsworth, Chairman and CEO of the Burlsworth Trophy.

Boettcher was a three-star football recruit coming out of high school but decided to concentrate on baseball for the Ducks when he enrolled in the fall of 2020. That seemed to be a good decision as he has helped Oregon to back-to-back super regional appearances as a center fielder and won an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove. He was also taken in the 13th round of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros.

However, when Ducks football coach Dan Lanning took over, he encouraged the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder to walk on before the 2022 season. Initially, a safety, Boettcher played 12 of 13 games on special teams. In 2023, he shifted to inside linebacker and was fifth on the team in total tackles with 37, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

This season, the former high school quarterback and basketball player leads the team with 87 total tackles and has two sacks, an interception and four pass breakups.

Boettcher grew up and attended high school in Eugene, Oregon, home of the Oregon campus.

Other finalists for the award were Shaun Dolac from the University of Buffalo and James Carpenter from the University of Indiana.

Dolac turned down a lacrosse scholarship to Albany to pursue a Division I college football career. Despite not receiving one FBS scholarship offer, he walked on at Buffalo to honor his late father, John, who dreamed of his son playing college football. He’s made his dad proud excelling for the Bulls.

After missing most of the 2023 season with injury, the 6-foot-1, 225-pounder has enjoyed a dominant 2024 campaign racking up 159 total tackles. That mark leads the nation and his 76 solo tackles is second nationally. Dolac also has five interceptions and five and a half sacks. He has been named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week five times this season and MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week once.

Dolac burst on the scene as a junior in 2022 when he was second in the nation and led the MAC in total tackles with 147. His 97 solo tackles, a school record, led the nation. He also totaled 13.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. For his efforts, Dolac earned All-MAC first-team honors.

Dolac started four games last season before an injury sidelined him. He played in all seven games, mostly on special teams, as a freshman in 2020 and appeared in all 12 games playing a more significant role defensively in 2021 after earning a scholarship a few weeks before the season began.

Dolac, who was a standout running back and linebacker at nearby West Seneca (N.Y.) East High School, is a two-time Academic All-MAC selection majoring in Spanish.

Carpenter is no stranger to the Burlsworth Trophy, but he is representing a different team this year as a finalist. Carpenter began his career as a walk-on at James Madison but transferred to upstart Indiana this fall.

The 6-foot-2, 288-pounder has collected 30 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. With no captains named to start the season, Carpenter has been a game captain each week.

The Roanoke, Va., native played in 40 career games with the Dukes with 37 starts from 2019-2023. He was an All-Sun Belt Conference selection in 2022-23 and totaled 141 tackles, 28 TFL’s and 11.5 sacks. Carpenter also accumulated two interceptions, two recovered fumbles and one forced fumble during his JMU tenure.

Carpenter, who earned a scholarship in 2021, graduated from JMU with a bachelor’s degree in sport and recreation management and started work on a master’s degree in adult education/human resource development at JMU.

Past Burlsworth Trophy winners include:

• 2023 – Cody Schrader, Running Back – Missouri
• 2022 – Stetson Bennett, Quarterback – Georgia
• 2021 – Grant Morgan, Linebacker – Arkansas
• 2020 – Jimmy Morrissey, Center – Pittsburgh
• 2019 – Kenny Willekes, Defensive End – Michigan State
• 2018 – Hunter Renfrow, Receiver – Clemson
• 2017 – Luke Falk, Quarterback – Washington State
• 2016 – Baker Mayfield, Quarterback – Oklahoma
• 2015 – Baker Mayfield, Quarterback – Oklahoma
• 2014 – Justin Hardy, Receiver – East Carolina
• 2013 – Jared Abbrederis, Receiver – Wisconsin
• 2012 – Matt McGloin, Quarterback – Penn State
• 2011 – Austin Davis, Quarterback – Southern Mississippi
• 2010 – Sean Bedford, Center – Georgia Tech

About the Burlsworth Trophy

The trophy is named in honor of Brandon Burlsworth. Without one D1 scholarship offer, Brandon walked on to the Razorback team in 1994, worked his way to being a three-year starter and was eventually named an All- American in 1998. Burlsworth was selected as the 63rd overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1999 NFL draft but was tragically killed in a car accident 11 days later. The Burlsworth Foundation was created in his memory and supports the physical and spiritual needs of children, particularly those children who have limited opportunities. For a full narrative of the Foundation’s work, visit brandonburlsworth.org.

About the National College Football Awards Association

The Burlsworth Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 24 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935.